Governments of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarkhand must comply with Right to Food & Right to Water Obligations

The mission investigated and verified violations of the right to food and water in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarkhand related to the implementation of the minimum wage in the informal sector of the bangle industry and the right to food of migrant workers in Firojabad and the right to water of the poor community in Sumannagar.

In Uttar Pradesh, the mission observed that the migrant women workers who were engaged in the informal sector of the bangle industry did not receive the minimum wage. They were highly indebted to local moneylenders, had no assets and no access to entitlements like the public distribution system (PDS) and other social security schemes, as they were not officially recognised as residents in Firojabad. Many children were engaged in the bangle industry and were deprived of education. As children did not attend school they were also deprived from getting the school’s mid day meal . The migrant women workers had very poor access to basic amenities like safe drinking water and health services. They had no alternative employment opportunities which could set them free from the exploitations of contractors and middlemen in the bangle industry. The fact finding mission (FFM) team observed that these migrant families were suffering from chronic hunger and malnutrition. Many women and their family members were suffering from  tuberculosis and other ailments as the villages were set up in unhygienic locations. The FFM also observed that most of these women workers were ignorant of their rights and were silently suffering for many years. These women were forced to migrate from their native villages due to lack of income opportunities there and their suffering continued in Firojabad as they became the victims of violations of the right to food. On the basis of these observations, the preliminary recommendations of the fact-finding mission in Firojabad include the following:

”        The Government of Uttar Pradesh should take immediate steps to ensure that :

”        Women in Firojabad, who work in the informal sector of the bangle industry receive the minimum wage and the mission recommends that a piece rate should be determined for the contract workers in the bangle industry
”        The migrant women workers in Firojabad should immediately be enrolled in the local administrative system and appropriate documents should be issued in their favour by the local administration
”        These poor women have access to appropriate entitlements i.e. Below Poverty Line (BPL) cards, widow pensions etc.
”        These women have access to a complaint mechanism in the local administration so that the erroneous documents issued to them by the local administration could be reported and rectified
”        Appropriate actions should be taken to increase the accountability of the local administration and to decrease complication and bureaucracy in administrative procedures so that the poor women could easily access different programmes and schemes which are envisaged for their food security and empowerment
”        Child labour is eradicated in the bangle industry and their right to food, health and education are guaranteed
”        ICDS and other government schemes running for the promotion of food security should reach these women and their families and these programmes should be made effective to reduce malnutrition and hunger in general with a particular focus on vulnerable children.

In Uttarkhand the mission observed that villagers in Sumannagar were evicted from Garhwal (hills) due to the construction of Teheri Dam and were rehabilitated in Sumannagar. This eviction and rehabilitation deteriorated their standard of living as their access to fertile agricultural land and abundant water for irrigation were restricted in Sumannagar compared to their native villages. Due to the forced displacement and rehabilitation in a backward and culturally alien location, many poor households fell below the poverty level. The most serious concern of the villagers was lack of access to canal water for irrigation which reduced their ability to cultivate their agricultural lands. The local authority repeatedly failed to respond to the complaints of the villagers in this regard. Due to severe water constraints and lack of access to other resources needed for agriculture many households were compelled to lease out their lands. Restricted access to water for irrigation seriously undermined the food security of the poor villagers in Sumannagar and violated their right to water and right to food. Furthermore, the villagers in Sumannagar suffered from poor access to potable water and lack of basic amenities like postal communication, high schools, health services etc. Moreover the mission observed that this village was vulnerable to floods due to the dilapidated state of the monsoon canals which encircled the village.
On the basis of these observations, the preliminary recommendations of the fact-finding mission in Sumannagar include the following:

o        The Government of Uttarkhand should take necessary steps to ensure that
o        Living conditions of the villagers in Sumannagar improve considerably
o        The villagers in Sumannagar have access to canal water for irrigating their lands and they are able to cultivate their lands
o        The villagers in Sumannagar have access to safe drinking water

For additional information, please contact
FIAN Uttar Pradesh and FIAN Norway